Name plate assembly



Jan. 10, 1961 o. F. COLBERT 2,967,366

NAME PLATE ASSEMBLY Filed April 13, 1959 INVENTOR 0770 F C04 55?? BY QUnited States Patent NAME PLATE ASSEMBLY Otto F. Colbert, 339 N.Pickering Ave., Whittier, Calif.

Filed Apr. 13, 1959, Ser. No. 805,629

4 Claims. (Cl. 40-140) This invention relates to a name plate assemblyand has for an object to provide a frame provided with a complement ofname-designating letters and with novel and improved means for retainingassembly of said frame and letters.

Another object of the invention is to provide friction means for holdinga frame backing in letter-retaining position.

A further object of the invention is to provide a name plate thatcombines inter-engaging means on the frame and letters thereof to retainthe letters against displacement in the plane of the frame, and afriction-held backing member to retain rearwardly insertable letters inthe frame, thereby providing an integrated assembly 'of frame, lettersand backing. i

The invention also has for its objects to provide such means that arepositive in operation, convenient in use, easily installed in a workingposition and easily disconnected therefrom, economical of manufacture,relatively simple, and of general superiority and serviceability.

The invention also comprises novel details of construction and novelcombinations and arrangements of parts, which will more fully appear inthe course of the following description. However, the drawing merelyshows and the following description merely describes, preferredembodiments of the present invention, which are given by way ofillustration or example only.

In the drawing, like reference characters designate similar parts in theseveral views.

Fig. l is a broken rear view of a name plate according to the presentinvention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view as taken on line 2-2 of Fig.1.

Fig. .3 is an exploded fragmentary sectional view showing details ofconstruction.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view of a modification.

The present name plate assembly comprises a preferably die-cast frame 5,a complement of letters 6 mounted in said frame, and a backing member 7to close the back and form a background for the letters. As can be seen,

the device illustrated embodies means 8 for retaining the letters 6 inthe frame against lateral shifting after being placed in adjustedposition, and means 9 frictionally holding the backing 7 on the frame 5and retaining the letters 6 against rearward displacement.

The frame 5 comprises ends 10 that are connected, top and bottom, byelongated frame sides 11 to leave the frame with a rectangular opening12. Said sides 11, as best seen in Figs. 2 and 3, are formed to haverearwardly-facing rabbets 13 that extend for the entire length of saidsides 11. The ends 10 are provided with holes 14 that are countersunk onthe outer side for fastener screws that hold the name plate in operativeposition, as on a wall.

The letters 6 are also preferably die-cast and are of a vertical size tospan the height of the frame opening 12, as can be seen in Figs. 1 and2. Said letters are preferice 2 ably of the thickness of the frameledges 15 or slightly thicker (see Fig. 2). At the opposite ends' ofeach letter 6 is integrally provided a cleat 16 that extends rearwardlyfrom the letter and outwardly to provide letter-locating engagement withthe ledges 15. Thus, the letters together with the cleats 16 thereofhave a total thickness 'black finish on the face 20 thereof.

equal to the thickness of the frame 11. It will be clear, then, that aletter with its cleats 16 against the rear faces of the ledges 15 willhave the rear faces'17 of said cleats flush or substantially flush withthe rear faces 18 of the frame and the rear faces of the letters 6 willbe forwardly spaced from the faces :17 and 18.

Regardless of the form of the different letters, the upper and lowercleats 16 are similar in that they extend longitudinally to beapproximately at least equal to the width of the letters and preferablysomewhat longer, as may be seen in Fig. 1. The letters and their cleatsare connected and rendered strong by braces or fins 19 integrally castwith the letters and cleats. seen, said cleats substantially fill therabbets 13 of the frame for the longitudinal extent of said cleats. Thebacking 7 comprises a non-metallic plate coinciding in length and heightdimensions with the frame 5 and apertured in register with the holes 14.If, for example, the frame and letters were given a polished gold color,a good contrasting background for the letters would be provided bygiving said backing 7 a glossy The opposite face of said backing may bedull or otherwise treated. It

-will be seen that the letters are retained in placein the frame by saidbacking when the latter is placed fiatwise against the rear face 18 ofthe frame. It will also be seen that the letters themselves areforwardly spaced from the backing, as indicated at 21. A form-retainingyet flexible plastic may be used to form the backing sheet 7.

The means 8 is shown as a series of teeth 22 formed in each frame side11 and opening as a series of serrations on the rabbets 13. The depth ofthese preferably triangular teeth is less than the depth of the rabbets,although the same may be formed to the depth of the rabbets. Said teeth22 define a series of triangular and equally spaced recesses 23, as canbest be seen in Fig. l, and the same are in register on opposite sidesof the frame opening 12.

Said means 8 further includes triangular projections 24, at least two,on the cleats 16 of each letter, the same being designed to fit twospaced triangular grooves or recesses 23 as illustrated in Fig. I. Saidprojections 24 are preferably shallower than are the recesses 23, as canbe seen from Fig. 2, assuring flatwise contact of the cleats 16 with theledges 15 and a flush condition at the back of the frame so that thesheet 7 may lie flat against the frame.

It will be clear that, once located in the frame 5, the letters 6 have adefinite position from which they cannot shift longitudinally. Anyadjustment of position entails rearward displacement of the letters toengage the projections 24 with other recesses 23.

The means 9 is shown in Figs. 1 and 2, as cast round projections 25extending from the rear face :18 of the frame and a registering set ofholes 26 in the backing sheet 7 of a size to snugly fit said projectionsto produce friction suflicient to retain assembly of frame 5 and sheet7. It will be clear that a snap-on engagement is all that is entailedand the assembly may be retained until such time that the name plate issecured in operative position on a wall. The modification of Fig. 4shows that in addition to or instead of the studs 25 and holes 26, eachhole 14 may be provided with a rearwardly ex tending collar 27 and thesheet 7 with a hole to be frictionally fitted by said collar. of course,holes 26 agd As can be 2 may be slightly undersize of the studs orcollar over whi'cili they engage, afienaeacebeia 'piscea sa'yremai theplastic material of the slieet.

While the foregoing specification illustrates and dc: scribes what I nowcontemplate to be the best mode of carrying out my'inventiomthe'construction is, of course; subject to modification withoutdepartingfrorn the spirit and scope of my invention. Therefore, I do notdesire to restrict the invention to the particular form'of-coms'truction illustrated and described, but desireto cover allmodifications that may fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus describedmy invention, what is claimed and desired to besecured by Letters 'Patent' isz' 1. A name plate assembly comprising'arectangular frame, a complement of letters disposed in'the frame openingwith the front faces of the frame and letters substantially flush, theframe being thicker than the letters to form a space between the rearface of the frame and the rear faces of the letters, means integral withthe frame and letters to adjustably hold the latter in the frame againstlongitudinal shifting in the frame, said'latter means on the lettershaving rear faces that are rearward of the rear faces of the letters andflush with the rear face of the frame, a non-metallic backing sheetcoextensive dimensionally with the frame and in flatwise positionagainst the rear face of the frame and engaged with the rear faces ofIetter-hOIding'means cif the letters, and friction means connecting saidbacking sheet and theframe. i ",2. A name plate assembly according toclaim 1, the friction means comprising rearward projections ,on theframefthe backing shee't haying holes tightly receiving saidprojections. i "3. A name plate assembly according to. claim 1 in whichthe frame, along the sides thereof, is provided with r'eai'wa'rdlyfacing'rabbets and the letter-holding means on the letters is disposedin said rabbets, said means thereby, being clear of the frame opening.

4. In a name plate assembly, a rectangular frame having elongatedlongitudinal sides, a rearwardly facing rabbet along each said side andopening on the frame opening, a series of similar projections along therear of the mentioned frame side, the same defining a series of similarrecesses, said teeth and' recesses being shallower than the depth 'ofthe rabbets, an elementadapted to span the opening in the frame betweensaid longitudinal frame sides with the fro'nt facesof the frame andelement flush, a rearwardly offset cleat on each end of said element ofa thickness similar to the depth of the rabbets and fitting into saidrabbets with the rear faces of the frame and the cleats flush, and atleast two projections on each said cleat and engaged in longitudinallyspaced recesses above mentioned, the rear faces of said project ionsbeing flush with therear faces of the cleats, and the thickness of saidprojections being less than the depth of the recesses whereby clearancebetween the bottoms of the recesses and the projections results, and abaclging member in flush engagement with thereai" faces of the frame,cleats and extensions of said cleats and in spaced relation to the rearface of the mentioned element.

References Cited in the file of this patent UN ED S ATE A N S

